Isuzu UTE A-League Round 20 Match Review

The Wellington Phoenix have taken a point from the best home team in this season’s Isuzu UTE A-League.

The Phoenix have drawn 1-1 with Adelaide United at Coopers Stadium in Chris Greenacre’s second match in charge.

Manjrekar James got the final touch on a set piece 10 minutes out from halftime to give the Nix the lead, with Adelaide equalising 10 minutes into the second half.

Wellington then defended stoutly to claim just their sixth draw in 28 visits to South Australia.

“My players they were like warriors tonight,” Greenacre told media post-match. “They dug in right to the death.

“Full credit to Adelaide. They’re a good team. One of the form teams, they play a lovely brand of football [and] we always knew it was going to be difficult.

“And with such a quick turnaround from our game against Sydney…if we would have been offered the point early in the week we would have taken it.”

Greenacre labelled it a “tough old performance”.

“Notoriously over the years it’s been a tough place for us to come. We’ve struggled to get results here for a long period of time.

“You can’t beat Coopers on a Friday night. The atmosphere is always electric, it’s a great place to play and we really had to be on our game today. We had to defend for our lives.

“We had a couple of opportunities late in the game could have maybe turned things differently…, it wasn’t to be but it’s a point in the right direction for us.”

Chris Greenacre made one enforced change to the XI which started Sunday’s narrow defeat to Sydney FC with Ifeanyi Eze returning from suspension in place of Alex Rufer, who himself is serving a one-match suspension. Kazuki Nagasawa captained the Phoenix in Rufer’s absence.

Adelaide fired an early warning shot across Wellington’s goal, with Luka Jovanovic flashing a header narrowly wide of the right hand post just seconds after the kick off.

Ramy Najjarine came close to opening the scoring for the Nix a couple of minutes later after Eze picked him out in the penalty area having chased down a seemingly lost cause. Unfortunately, Najjarine steered his effort just wide of the left hand post.

The Phoenix continued to get in promising positions and Carlo Armiento and Corban Piper had shots at goal before 10 minutes were on the clock. Armiento’s long-range effort soared over the crossbar and Piper’s was straight at Adelaide’s ‘keeper from a tight angle.

Yaya Dukuly came within inches of giving the Reds the lead inside a quarter of an hour when he got in behind the Nix defence but struck the outside of the left hand post. The Video Assistant Referee would have no doubt have looked at the goal if Dukuly had found the right side of the post as he looked to be offside.

The moment didn’t rattle Wellington, and they threatened from set pieces. Nagasawa blasted a shot over the bar following a corner and Tuiloma headed a left wing free kick wide of target.

Adelaide still had their moments. Jovanovic had a shot from the edge of the area on the half hour mark which Josh Oluwayemi comfortably held on to.

Shortly after Najjarine made a clever run in behind the Reds’ defence and tried to catch Joshua Smits out at his near post but the Dutch ‘keeper made a smart save to turn the shot away for a corner.

The Phoenix took the lead in the 35th minute when Piper headed a pinpoint free kick from Nagasawa off James and into the back of the net.

Oluwayemi made a good save to keep out a direct free kick from Juan Muniz, which dropped awkwardly in front of him, to ensure the Nix led at halftime.

Adelaide made a fast start to the second half and had three shots in the opening four minutes but Oluwayemi was only forced to make one save and it was a comfortable one to hold on to a shot from Jovanovic.

All Wellington had to show for their endeavours in the first quarter of an hour after halftime was a deflected effort from Nagasawa which ended up in Smits’ gloves.

Jovanovic drew the Reds level moments later, cutting inside James and Oluwayemi before shooting into the roof of the net.

Oluwayemi made a big save with his left foot midway through the second half to keep out Ryan White’s effort after the midfielder was slipped into the Wellington box by a precise pass.

Greenacre made his first substitutions soon after, bringing on fit-again All Whites fullback Tim Payne and forward Nikola Mileusnic on for Matt Sheridan and Eze respectively.

They didn’t reap any immediate returns and he made another double change in the 78th minute, when Najjarine and Armiento were replaced by Sander Kartum and Dan Edwards.

The hosts were dominating possession and playing the game in their attacking half but the Phoenix defended resolutely and had the better chances to claim all three points.

Piper earned the Nix a free kick on the edge of the Adelaide penalty area four minutes from fulltime. Tuiloma took charge of the set piece and curled his effort around the Reds’ wall but straight into Smits’ arms.

Luke Brooke-Smith replaced Piper soon after as Greenacre made his final substitution.

Mileusnic had a chance to test the Adelaide ‘keeper in the 89th minute after Isaac Hughes won possession in midfield, drove forward and slipped the veteran forward into the box but Mileusnic wasn’t able to properly connect with his first-time effort and it didn’t trouble Smits.

Kartum came closest to winning the match for the Phoenix in the third and final minute of time added on when his shot from the edge of the box deflected off a Reds’ player and went narrowly wide of the right hand post.

Smits claimed the resulting corner and the referee’s fulltime whistle was blown.

The Wellington Phoenix will make the long trip home tomorrow before turning their attentions to next Saturday’s Match For Good double-header at Hnry Stadium, where the Phoenix will play host to Perth Glory.

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